Home >European
Touring > Europe 2009 > Lake Luzern
and Bernese Oberland
|
Lake Luzern and Bernese
Oberland
|
We drove around the northern edge of
Vierwald-stätter See (Lake Luzern) through a few small lakeside villages
to the resort of Vitznau and on to Weggis where we found a small campsite
in the meadows to the west of the town. The next morning we walked into
the town centre and lakeside promenade where a four-piece band was
entertaining an audience of a dozen older citizens. Not a
very lively place but saw posters for a traditional Swiss folk
evening the night before which we had missed as usual! We asked in the tourist office about internet
access but the only place was at a backpackers hostel so we called in and
checked our mail at a rather expensive 3.50CHF for fifteen minutes. We
then drove back along the attractive lakeside road for a lunch stop at
Vitznau with a few grand hotels, and found a paying parking area (but no
overnighting by motorhomes allowed of course). From here the rack railway climbs to
the top of Rigi mountain, one of the first to be developed for tourists,
but it was only running a limited infrequent timetable except at weekends.
|
Not overwhelmed by this area with it being rather quiet in the low season, we found an
ACSI discount campsite fairly nearby at Mierskappel which turned out to be
a rather more interesting place with a wild west theme. Tepees and a traditional old US Western street
were being erected for an event the next
weekend. The next day was rather wet so we stayed put and watched a
"cowboy" wedding reception at the site in the afternoon and
chatted to a British couple (the first we had met for at least two weeks)
and some Dutch caravanners. Usefully there was also free wifi across the
site.
|
Vitznau
|
Meierskappel Wild West campsite
|
The next morning we decided to bypass the city of Luzern and head for the Bernese Oberland, driving past Sarnersee and the
attractive Lungernsee where we stopped to look at the view as the road
climbed over the Brünigpass (the tall poles by the road were a frequently
seen feature in Switzerland indicating the size of a proposed building
so this view could be lost in the future),and on to Meiringen then to a
small ACSI campsite at the Aareschlucht gorge near Innertkirchen. From the
site we walked by the river to the village passing a picnic place with a
barbecue hearth and logs provided. From the signs this was one of many of
these family picnic places set up across Switzerland. We also spotted a
barn with an impressive log store wall. The roads to the
Grimsel and Susten Passes meet here making an interesting round trip with
the Furkapass, although the Susten was not yet open in early June. From
there we drove back to Brienz and after a stroll around the town with
several woodcarving studios and interesting carved signs for the local
walks we continued along the bright blue Brienzer
See to Interlaken.
Brienz signposts
|
Lungernsee
Aareschlucht gorge
Woodstore barn
|
Turning south through Winderswil we drove along the valley to the end of the road past
Lauterbrunnen, where we were planning to stay but as it was rather
enclosed in the steep vally we turned back and took the road to Grindelwald where we found the popular
Camping Gletschedorf on the edge of the town. The views to the Eiger
mountain
and glaciers were impressive and although the town is very tourist focussed and
rather sprawling with many hotels, there are still many traditional Swiss
chalets dotted across the valley and plenty of quiet but rather hilly
country lanes and meadows full of wild flowers everywhere.
|
Flower meadows and
mountains
Grindelwald
|
We walked up to the Gletscherschlucht gorge but
it was closed for repairs to the walkway. However following a signposted walk
which zigzagged up the steep hill we
came out at the top of the gorge where a footbridge crossed the narrow gap
in the sheer rocks.
|
Gletscherschlucht gorge from above
|
Gletscherschlucht gorge - closed for repairs
|
The next morning after returning to
Interlaken we headed west along Thuner See to Spiez where we parked near
the castle overlooking the lake. After a walk around the grounds and down to
the quayside where the lake steamers call in, we headed for the town
centre which was deserted with everything closed for lunchtime. Finding an ACSI discount
campsite nearby at Krattingen we booked in for one night. The site was
mostly chalets and virtually everything cost extra with compulsory
rubbish bag tax as well as a high tourist tax. After an afternoon stroll
around the typically tidy Swiss village we spent the evening planning our
route back to France.
Spiez - decorated Swiss house
|
Spiez castle
Spiez castle gardens
|
We decided to look at Thun at the western end of the
lake the next morning. After a walk around the busy town centre with its
unusual two tiered pavements on the main street and a
quick look at the castle we decided we had seen enough of Switzerland and we drove on
good main roads through the hills to the
attractive valley around Chateau-d'Oex, a popular hot air ballooning centre,
then an easy drive over the Col des Mosses to Aigle and on to the
southern shore of Lake Geneva. We were glad to reach the familiar
scruffiness of France again
and continued towards Evian and found a campsite in the small village of
Champanges in the hills above the lake.
|
Thun covered
bridge
Thun
castle
Thun elevated pavement
|
<< Some
of the Italian Lakes
|
France Alps to
Ardêche >>
|